Cost of Living · Updated June 2026
Cost of living index salary adjustment calculator
Indexes are abstract until they price a paycheck. This tool converts an index gap directly into the salary adjustment it implies – the same arithmetic compensation teams run, with the index composition out in the open.
MovingCal's index is rent-inclusive and benchmarked to New York = 100. That choice is deliberate: rent is both the largest budget line and the most variable one between cities, so excluding it (as some published indexes do) systematically understates real adjustment needs.
Cost of living calculator
Equivalent salary
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- Budget A
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- Budget B
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- Rent share of pay A
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- Rent share of pay B
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Line-by-line, monthly
| Item | A | B | Δ |
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Composite 2026 index incl. centre rent (NYC = 100). Salary figures are gross – taxes not included; pair with the salary after tax calculator.
Key insights
Key insights
- Adjustment % = (dest ÷ origin − 1) × 100 – ratios, not point differences.
- Rent-inclusive vs ex-rent indexes can differ 2× on the same city pair.
- Owners without mortgages should use ex-rent gaps.
- Families: childcare lines can out-scale the headline index.
- NYC = 100 benchmark across all 65+ cities.
| City | COL index | Single budget /mo | Avg net salary /mo | Power ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 100 | $5,759 | $7,200 | 1.25 |
| San Francisco | 93 | $4,954 | $8,200 | 1.66 |
| Austin | 63 | $2,825 | $6,000 | 2.12 |
| Chicago | 68 | $3,322 | $5,800 | 1.75 |
| Miami | 73 | $3,718 | $5,200 | 1.40 |
| London | 79 | $3,980 | $4,400 | 1.11 |
| Berlin | 56 | $2,526 | $3,300 | 1.31 |
| Lisbon | 50 | $2,126 | $1,700 | 0.80 |
From index points to dollars
Adjustment = salary × (destination ÷ origin − 1). Ten index points off a base of 80 ≈ 12.5% of salary; the same ten points off 100 = 10%. Index gaps are ratios, not differences – a common spreadsheet mistake that misprices adjustments by thousands.
The table below lists current index values for benchmark cities so you can run any pair instantly.
Choosing the right index variant
Rent-inclusive (used here) fits renters and recent movers. If you own outright at both ends, housing drops out – use the ex-rent gap, which typically halves the adjustment. The right index is the one matching your actual housing exposure.
For families, re-weight: childcare and schooling can exceed rent in several metros, and those lines scale differently than the headline index.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an index difference into a salary figure?
Divide destination index by origin index and multiply by current salary. Indexes 63 → 93 with a $100k salary: 93/63 = 1.476 → $147,600 equivalent.
Why do ratios matter instead of point differences?
Because indexes are relative scales. Moving "up 20 points" from 60 is a 33% cost increase; from 90 it's 22%. Treating points as percentages misprices every adjustment.
Which index does MovingCal use?
A 2026 composite weighted toward centre rent, plus groceries, utilities, transport, and dining – normalised to USD, New York = 100.
When is the ex-rent index correct?
When housing costs won't change with the move: outright owners, employer-housed staff, or movers keeping a fixed remote-rent situation.
Can I use this for raises in place?
Yes – year-over-year index drift in your own city is the COL raise benchmark; several metros moved 4–7% in 2025–2026.
Keep exploring
Related Cost of Living pages
- Highest Cost Of Living States
- Lowest Cost Of Living States
- New York vs New Jersey cost of living
- Pennsylvania vs Ohio cost of living
- Georgia vs Florida cost of living
- State Cost Of Living Retirees
- State Tax And Cost Of Living
- North Carolina vs South Carolina cost of living
- San Francisco vs Austin cost of living
- New York City vs London cost of living
- New York paycheck calculator
- State Sales Tax Comparison
- Illinois paycheck calculator
- Massachusetts paycheck calculator
- Married Filing Separately State Tax
- Pennsylvania paycheck calculator
- Washington paycheck calculator
- Effective Tax Rate 100k By State
- Colorado paycheck calculator
- California paycheck calculator
Plan the whole move, not just one number.
Every MovingCal tool shares the same 2026 dataset – carry your cities, salary, and countries from one calculator to the next.